Assam-Meghalaya border villages to shun militants

Guwahati, May 16 (IANS) Eighty-four villages located on a remote stretch of the Assam-Meghalaya border have now decided to desist any help to militants who frequent the area.

The villages, mostly inhabited by the Khasi, Garo, Rabha and Jaintia communities, are frequented by cadres of militant outfits like the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) for food and shelter while on their way to Meghalaya from Assam and from Meghalaya to Assam.

Community elders of the villages met at a meeting in Kinan village Wednesday and decided to stop all help to the cadres of the militant outfits.

“We held a meeting here today and decided to fight against the militants. The cadres of the various outfits frequent our villages and take shelter and food from the families. Most of the families give in to the demands of the militants due to fear,” said Benedict Aereng, a member of the panchayat. This is having a negative impact on the younger generation of the villages, he added.

“The villagers have had to face suffering as police and security personnel also launch search operations against the ultras in these villages. The villagers had to bear the brunt of militancy without any fault of theirs,” said Weneed R. Marak, a local resident and member of the panchayat.